healthbriefs
Maple Syrup Gives Good Gut R
esearchers from the University of Rhode Island have discovered that pure maple syrup contains
inulin, a complex carbohydrate that serves as a prebiotic. It encourages growth of beneficial gut bacteria and extends the lengthy list of beneficial vitamins and minerals contained in this natural sweet. Consume it in moderation, limited to a few times a week.
Meditating Raises Spirits More than a Vacation
S
cientists from the University of California at San Francisco, and
Harvard Medical School, in Boston, tested the effect of vacations and meditation on the genes of 64 women between the ages of 30 and 60 that were novice meditators. They all spent six days at the same resort in California. Half participated in a meditation program that included yoga, self-reflection exercises and mantra meditation; the other half did not engage in onsite meditation. The researchers also studied a group of 30 experienced meditators already participating in the resort’s medita- tion program. Blood sample tests and surveys
from all 94 women were conducted at intervals: once right before their stay, once right after, a third one month post-vacation and then 10 months after the trip. All the women displayed significant changes to their molecular network pattern after the six days, with the most substantial genetic changes related to immune function and stress response. One month after the resort
experience, all groups continued to display improvements. However, the novice meditators showed fewer symptoms of depression and stress for a significantly longer period than the women not participating in the meditation exercise.
18 NA Triangle
www.natriangle.com
Natural Sounds Soothe the Brain
S
ussex University researchers in the UK tested the brain activity of 17
healthy subjects as they listened to a series of soundscapes from either natural or artificial environments. Brain scans and questionnaires found that natural sounds led to relaxation and positive feedback, while artificial sounds activated stress and anxi- ety-related brain activity.
Eating Fruit Lowers Cardiac Risk
S
cientists from the University of Oxford and the Chinese Medical
Academy studied 500,000 healthy adults in China for seven years, track- ing medical records of illnesses and deaths. They found that a 100-gram serving of fruit per day (primarily apples and oranges) reduces the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke by one-third.
Improve your Fitness and Health Today!
Judy Liu is a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga
Alliance, a RRCA Certifi ed Running Coach, an American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certifi ed Fitness Instructor and Integrated Health Coach. She offers several group and private sessions at different studios in Cary.
For more information, please visit
www.strenuacoach.com or like the Facebook page Strenua LLC.
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